The Window to Our Souls
by galacticbestbuds
Summary: It was just something everyone seemed to know about, except them. An outsider's perspective of Maya and Phoenix's relationship. [spoilers for pretty much everything - ratings/genres change per newest chapter] [chapter four: elise deauxnim]
1. Mia Fey

**Character: **Mia Fey

**Chapter Summary:** It's hard to let go when you're a medium who can channel spirits of the dead. (In which Maya seeks advice, and Mia gives her just that.)

**Note:** This fic will pretty much be lots of scraps from all my Nick/Maya drabbles and ficlets I've been hoarding and thinking about these past few months, all from another person's point of view about the two. I'm trying to keep most of them in-canon with the actual series, so I hope I don't disappoint. I've got a couple characters already planned, but I may ask for some requests later on. I hope you enjoy! (Oh, and kudos to my friend Agnes for proofreading this!)

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It's something that just happened once Maya had gotten in the hang of things in Kurain and begun her path towards becoming a full spirit medium. She controlled her ability to channel her - it was easiest because she was blood-related and her little sister knew her like the back of her hand - and she chose to update her on the things going around in the village and little tidbits of the newest Steel Samurai episodes, but mostly news about her through little letters written in purple ink.

It was to make it seem like Mia wasn't even dead.

_(Maya pretends as though it's just like usual, like Mia is still in the city and Maya in Kurain - they're just a call or letter away from each other. Mia thinks the contrary, but she keeps her lips shut - rather, hands - and doesn't argue. It's enough, for now.)_

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_Sis,_

Hey! I'm back in Kurain now. I left L.A. a little while ago and I tried to channel you, but it didn't really work out that well. I guess I'm still only able to channel you under tough situations. But! I've been training really hard recently - it's one of the reasons I left, and Nick thinks it's a good idea too (what kind of spirit medium _can't_ channel spirits, anyway?) - and if you're reading this right now, it's probably paid off!

It's pretty dry over here at the Manor, as usual. I can't even watch the Steel Samurai! The stuffy Elders have accomplished one thing while keeping check over the village, that's for sure: making sure everything is _B. O. R. I. N. G._ At this point I would call you, hop on a train to the city, and ask if we can have dinner together, but I guess I can't do that now. I can't even do that with Nick because I want to prove myself a great spirit medium next time we meet. Uuugh.

...I plan on helping Nick with the firm, by the way, Sis. Not just temporarily like what I've been doing the last few months I was in L.A., but, _for real_, y'know? I want to be his assistant. I want to help him make the office something to be remembered in the future so that all your work building up your reputation isn't going to waste. He's just so nice, and cool, and - and he's just like you Mia. Well, except he's a guy, and also _way_ less awesome, and kind of a huge dork.

Also, Pearly says hi! I'm still easing her into the, uh… _circumstances_ that happened a couple weeks ago, so she doesn't know what's really going on. But she says she misses Mystic Mia, and honestly, I do too. I hope you're having a good time up there, Sis.

Lots of love,

_Maya_

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_Mia,_

Sis! I've done it! The Elders are letting me do my very first official channeling - I'm a full-fledged medium, now, Mia! _TAKE THAT!_

Ha ha, oops, sorry. I'm kind of just super really nervous and excited and I'm afraid I'm going to mess up somehow - you know I'm not as good as you or Mom, or even Pearly! - but I feel like I'm ready, Sis. I can totally do this. (Right?)

Anyway, that's not the only reason I'm nervous. I told my client - Dr. Turner Grey! You know, the guy who owns that hospital that had that one malpractice incident a couple years ago? 14 people! Dead! All thanks to one person's tragic accident! You're probably so proud that I did my research on the guy before channeling someone for him, but I'm an adult now, Mia. The big 1-8! I do all sorts of reading nowadays. Totally not through tabloids or anything, either, ha.

Er, right, back to what I was saying. I told him that before I could channel the person they wanted to speak to, he should go to L.A. and get Nick for me. I told it kind of as a little joke, like, I _maaay_ have been saying that I had a professional lawyer working under me as my legal assistant to boost up my rep, and uh, that I wouldn't do his channeling without Nick... but I think he thought I was being serious because then he bolted straight back towards the train!

But, I'll be honest, Sis. I'm actually glad he misunderstood me. This might be my chance… I can prove to him with my first channeling that I'm not just some kid who can only sometimes help in court. Once he sees me walk out that room with my very first, satisfied client, he'll see what a great assistance I can provide and I can go back to L.A. and solve really cool crimes with him again.

Plus, I miss him, Mia. I miss you too. Hope you're doing well. What do you actually do up there, anyway? Or is that something super secretive that only spirits know about? In that case, _keep_ it a secret! What if someone finds out I know, and you're forbidden to talk to me ever again? We can't have that happening.

Oops! I must've lost track of time. A freezing waterfall is awaiting my presence in half an hour, you know. Wish me luck for tomorrow!

Lots of love,

_Maya_

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_Hey Sis,_

I know what you're thinking right now. "Where am I? What time is it? And what is that _smell_?"

Er - okay, don't panic. It's a little past midnight and Nick is sleeping, so you better not wake him up! I'm not at Kurain right now, because I decided to leave with Nick back to L.A. because after pretty much everything that's happened, I don't feel - um, welcome there, you know? This isn't your apartment anymore either, 'cause, well, the lease ran out and I didn't have anymore money to keep paying rent for it. I'm sorry, you know the Elders... they won't let me touch my inheritance until I'm 21.

So I'm crashing at Nick's for the time-being. And maybe for a long while? I mean, he does give me free burgers for dinner, and this way we can both go to work together in the morning (even though he doesn't have a car, what's up with that?) and a lot of my stuff is already here from the first couple of months I've spent in the city, and Sis, stop looking at the paper like that! I swear nothing's going on! You sound like Pearly!

Also, that smell is coming from the bag of burgers we got tonight on my nightstand. Or Nick's nightstand, I guess. What? I got a little hungry writing this.

Oh! I saved the day with the last case we did! It involved a police officer being tried, so it was super important, well, at least that's what Nick told me. But then he got hit over the head with a fire extinguisher by the REAL killer and then suffered short-term amnesia and almost lost, until, **_BAM_**, the Purple Princess/Spirit Medium, here with the crucial evidence that completes the whole turnabout! It's kind of like Nick can't do anything without me, huh?

He had me crazy worried, though, Sis. Like the second he asked, "Who are you again?" it felt like my heart was going to stop beating. Like I couldn't breathe. But he gained his memory back right afterwards, so thankfully it wasn't for long. It was just so hard seeing him look at me with such a blank expression on his face as he tried to remember who I was - what I was even talking to him about. It's just... Nick's one of the only people I have left. If he forgot me, permanently...

Mia... do you think there's a point where a spirit just... _forgets?_ I understand that that was just a temporary situation with Nick, fire extinguisher and all, but... Mia... I couldn't - I... I wouldn't be able to get through all of this without you if you couldn't remember who I was. You won't forget me, will you?

Woah, I can hear Nick snoring on the couch (I'm going to claim that couch one day when Nick isn't so pushy for me to take the bed! Doesn't he know _I'M_ the guest here?) while I write this, ha ha. Did you know he snores when he sleeps? It's sorta endearing though, once you get used to it. I guess I shouldn't be worried about you waking Nick up with that racket.

Mia... I love you. You're still the best sister ever, you know that, right? I'll have Pearly channel you one day again, not for a trial, but so we can speak in person. I still haven't caught you up on the finale episode of The Pink Princess! I heard Sal Manella is out of jail, now, and is planning to write another spin-off. Cool, right? I'm so excited!

Maybe one of these days we can watch an episode or two together? Just like old times?

Love,

_Maya xx_

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_Yo Mia!_

Happy New Year! It's kind of hard to send the dead Christmas cards, but Pearly, Nick and I made a couple to send over to his relatives (okay, well, I found out that people really do make Christmas cards that have photos of themselves and send them out to their family and it sounded fun so I told Pearly about it, and then we sorta pestered Nick about it until he gave in. But he totally likes it though, he's just too much of an old fart to admit it). But I really wanted to show you how they came out. Look how cute it is! Nick let Pearly choose the framing, and I think it looks really nice. We look like a family! Er - _not like that, though._

How's it going, Sis? Spiriting around up there, and all. Do you want to grab something to eat? CAN you grab something to eat? I mean, it just ends up in (one of) my stomach(s) anyway, but I'm pretty hungry myself. I bet if you ask Nick for some food, he'll be all over it, "_Yes, Chief!_" and all.

Nick took me and Pearly down to Berry Big Circus tonight because Pearly wanted to go to her very first circus. I think Nick and Pearly are hiding something from me, 'cause they seem to be able to remove their thumbs at will and all, like _real magicians_! Isn't that supposed to hurt? But, anyway, Nick is pretty much the SWEETEST guy to Pearly. Enough to remove her whole opposition to guys around the people she loves and stuff, even. Uh, she kind of thinks Nick and I are... yeah. I'm sure I mentioned that to you a couple letters back, but I don't really remember. I said some things to her, but _nothing_ that would warrant that!

_At least I think so._

Nick also wishes you a happy New Year! He has some weird obsession with cleaning the toilet, so I bought him a couple of extra bottles of toilet cleanser with his gift I got him for Christmas, and he's ALL over that, just in case you hear weird splashing sounds from the bathroom.

I dunno, Mia, there's just somethin' about 2018 that gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling - like things are going to go right this year. I hope you're safe and enjoying yourself up there. I'll be waiting for your reply, Sis! I'll talk to you again next week.

Love,

_Maya_

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The next time Maya channels her, there is no note.

Maybe if she wasn't caught up on the situation by Phoenix, then she would've been extremely shocked once she opens her eyes to a damp, small room with only a miniature window to look through acting as her only source of light. Mia wobbles up, feeling her - Maya's - stomach heaving and grumbling, and she begins to make her way to the window.

It is urgent, and there's not enough time.

But, as she stumbles towards the opposite corner of the room where the window is, she feels something on her face. Mia picks at it, peeling off the offending object with a gross sound. It is barely illuminated in the dark room, but she can tell it's some sort of card.

It's a couple moments afterwards that she is able to lift the thin material to a light source, but even then, the natural lighting takes a while to shift from the dimmer shadows to a lighter contrast that allows her to see what was on the card.

"Is this...?" Mia squints, and she grimaces at her voice cracking within her throat. She is extremely thirsty, and resisting the urge to yawn and find a nice spot on uneven, concrete floor to nod off. The card between her fingers is a card of a shell: Shelly de Killer's, the one who is holding her little sister hostage, calling card, one he uses after... _performing_ one of his deeds.

What is this doing here...?

That is when she notices that there's something even more unusual about the card. On top of the seashell insignia is an inked drawing of... Phoenix...

"Maya..." she breathes out, clutching the card closer to her. She really believed in him that much, did she? Mia tries to think this through more carefully - with consideration of what this all really means, - but then she feels her hold on reality beginning to falter and remembering that now isn't the time for that.

With a grim expression, she looks outside the window for any clues while listening out for footsteps in case a certain assassin comes to check on his precious little item in holding. (Mia tries not to gag.)

There's... nothing much to see, really. A mailbox outside the abandoned shack that looks rusty, as if it hasn't been used in years. And - is that a _tent?_ Mia knows that her vision is beginning to blur over and fade, but she keeps the memory of the top of a tent building that seems not so far away.

Before she completely loses possession of Maya's body, however, she kicks aside the card into a crack between two walls. Hopefully, if any of Mia's observations help Phoenix or the police out, it would be found and given to the person it really belongs to.

Mia is sure he needs the reassurance.

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_Mia,_

Hey, Sis! How's it hanging? Anything new for you up there? Or is that secret too? You know you shouldn't tell me all your secret spirit things, so don't even try replying vaguely. But I DO want to know how you've been doing! It feels like it's been sooo long since I've talked to you, even though I wrote a letter just last week.

Not much has been happening here at Fey & Wright Law Offices (okay, so, it's still Wright & Co. but Nick is totally going to make that change someday). We've got ourselves a new case a couple days ago, just some old boring vandalism case that isn't as exciting as the murder cases you're so used to. And with, uh, Aunt Morgan in custody, Pearly's monthly visits are so much longer, now!

Huh. There's something weird, though. Like... patterns in some of our more recent cases. You know the Mask*DeMasque one, and then the other one with Maggey I told you about? (Speaking of which, I heard from Nick that Detective Gumshoe likes Maggey! Nick's a sucker for gossiping, did you know that, Mia?) Phonies - everywhere! Recreations of crimes in order to get the killers off the hook! People falling in love because of someone's valiant efforts to rescue them from a horrid situation! There were some pretty odd pairs, too, like a scary Xin Eoph whose skin was a super bad shade of orange and a coffee-crazed bandage wrapped lady. Then there was a shopping addict motorcycle enthusiast with a soft-spoken serial THIEF!

Desiree told us a really romantic story, though, and Nick started tearing up. Ha! I should really tell you about that story one time. He says he'd do the same thing for me if I was ever held hostage, heh. But... now that I think about it... that sounds pretty familiar. Do you think it's a conspiracy?

I've been looking at some Oh!Cult! issues with Pearly and we made reservations next month for their Special Course at Hazakura Temple - it's a spiritual resort up in the mountains by Eagle River, you know. We need someone who's at least 20, though, and even though I could try to pull off being 20 - it's just _a year_ older! - Pearly's not so keen on me lying. I could always channel you! You're still 27, right? That'd pass off... I think. Or maybe we can guilt-trip Nick into taking us, hmm.

I need to start flexing my future-Master skills, so... the first order of training is to sit under multiple freezing waterfalls on an equally cold block of ice, chanting an archaic phrase 30,000 times. ...Now that I write that... I'm not sure I'm as excited anymore...

Anyway, I hope you're well, Sis! I'll be sure to talk to you soon!

Love,

_Maya_

_P.S._ What does it _mean_ when someone sees you in another outfit and says, "Maybe you should quit being a spirit medium"? Just wondering.

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Mia smiles at the familiarity of the situation; feeling her soul extracted from her current place in the spirit realm and finding its place in Maya's body. It's hard to say whether or not a week had passed by since the last letter - time moves slow there, and she can't exactly pinpoint what day it is whenever she is channeled - so she wonders whether this has to do with a court case or not. She represses a small sigh - Phoenix was going to have to complete his battles on his own, someday, but she'll do whatever she could to help this time…

Except… wherever she is right now isn't the defendant's lobby, or even behind the defense's desk. Not the office, not Kurain… where exactly is Mia?

She looks through bleary eyes, and she feels cold sweat seep through Maya's robes. Her head is pounding, and it's almost like Maya's soul is still somehow incorporated within hers, and the extent of unwavering emotion is draining.

What… what's going on?

She spots an open notebook on top of a drawer stashed in the corner of the cool, damp room, her little sister's frantic writing scribbled across it. It's not purple and it's more loopy than usual, but it's Maya's handwriting. Mia grabs it, eyes wandering across the sheet.

It doesn't take long. There's not much.

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_Sis…_

You've gotta help me. Someone - someone is out there to attack me. I don't know what's going on and I don't know what to do... just help! _Please!_

_Maya_

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Mia quickly puts everything together, remembering where Maya had told her they were going the week before. _Hazakura, huh,_ she muses, her forehead beginning to crinkle in thought. Who would be out there to kill Maya - especially in such a secluded spiritual training place like this?

... No...

Dahlia Hawthorne. Morgan Fey. They're up to something, aren't they? Mia's been following their movements ever since she had left Kurain; since her very first trial. It might be her mom that motivated her, but Redd White wasn't the only criminal she was chasing. It could only be one of the two.

She used to be content with this way of communication. She used to satisfied with possessing Maya's body and responding to every single one of her letters. She used to be happy she could still keep in contact with her. _It used to be enough._

But right now, it isn't. As far as Mia's concerned, she couldn't rush up to Maya and coddle her in her arms; couldn't whispers sweet nothings into her ears that Dahlia Hawthorne will not hurt her and that she was going to make sure of it; couldn't do anything but write a damn note back.

_Because Mia is dead. And no amount of channeling will be able to change that._

But... Maya is in trouble. And if that's all she can do, then she'll do it. So, Mia writes. She writes a quick set of instructions for Maya to take long, calming breaths and to relax herself before locking herself in the cavern behind her and channel Dahlia Hawthorne. Mia writes that it is the only way to make sure no one else gets hurt, and she writes until she reaches the bottom of the page. There are still two lines left blank.

The first priority is to keep Maya calm, because it's all as hell difficult to keep a demon under the reigns if she's panicky.

Mia thinks back to last year, back to when Maya had channeled her with the last of her energy and tried to gain her whereabouts about the location she was being held hostage. Back to when she saw that drawing of Phoenix's face, pressed flat against her face. Mia is not dumb, not by a landslide, and despite not being able to tune in and out of the real world at will, she's not entirely left out.

Phoenix is Maya's emotional rock and vice versa; there's a dependence between them that bypasses more than anything else. Mia may have not meant it like that when she had first wrote to Maya to take care of Phoenix for her, but she realizes herself now that whatever had conspired between the pair for the last three years is something even beyond her knowledge. How they had felt when they first met, how they turned to each other when there was no one else left - that is between them, and not Mia.

All she has are Maya's letters - but for her, it's evidence enough to tell her that Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey are two halves of the same whole. One cannot possibly exist without the other.

And so Mia continues to write, because that is all that is left for her to do in this situation. She writes the one thing she knows will Maya will keep close to her heart; something that will reassure her of her own safety - to keep her calm throughout all of this mess.

"Don't worry. Phoenix will save everyone in the end."

_(And from the bottom of her heart, she so desperately wishes this is true.)_

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As an after thought, she turns the notebook paper over and starts over on a new, fresh page, scrawling neatly for safe measure: "_P.S._ Once this all blows over, mak e sure to have Pearl channel me. We need to talk. You two are going to stop dancing around each other someday or another."

Setting the note back down on the surface of the dresser, she clicks the end of the pen, retracting the inky tip. And, for the first time since she's realized the reality of the situation, Mia feels her lips curve up into a smile as she feels her soul reach towards the heavens once more.

Maybe she can't be there for Maya. Not like this.

_But she knows Phoenix can._


	2. Larry Butz

**Character:** Larry Butz

**Chapter Summary:** Phoenix is kind of scary when he is protective, and Larry is at the butt one of his lectures. (In which Phoenix isn't the only one who can perform a turnabout, and his good ol' buddy is there to help him.)

**Note:** This chapter wasn't supposed to be this long, I swear. It's just - dialogue kept hitting me every single time and gosh, I'm sorry for this. Basically, it's based on this headcanon that the reason that Maya doesn't have any suitors is because Phoenix always gives them the, "So... you think you can weasel your way into a relationship with Maya, huh?" talk and I just imagined what it would be like when Larry tried to get Phoenix to be his wingman for Maya. May be OOC, may be perfectly in character - who really knows anymore?

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"You said you've sworn off girls - _forever!_"

"Yeah, but, Nick - Maya's the _perfect_ girl for me! And she's super beautiful, not to mention legal, y'know?"

Nick grumbles something in reply, but the odd man bent gleefully over his desk, hands clasped on Nick's shoulders, believes it's affirmation that Lauric- _Larry_ Butz and Maya Fey are indeed a match made in heaven. Larry lets go of his grip on Nick and begins to pace the office, rubbing at his goatee thoughtfully. He feels his hold on reality fade as he begins to spout out random phrases of his very, very detailed imagination as to what his future relationship with Maya will be like - "...And I'd guess we'd elope, 'cause even though her dumb old village might need to do some ritual things, it'd be easier on the both of us... I think. Plus, isn't she like a _real_ princess? That means I'm her _Prince Charming, _always coming to save the day and all!"

There is more incoherent mumbling coming from Nick, but Larry pushes all that to the back of his head. There's bigger things to worry about at the moment.

"So, what do you say?"

"Say to what, again?" Nick mutters, holding his head in his hands.

Larry thinks nothing of the motion, returning back to Nick's desk and putting on the best puppy-dog face he can muster. He spent hours in the mirror perfecting this look - there's no way it could fail him now. "You knooow," Larry drawls, playing with the nine-shaped glowy green jewel on the desk that he always sees Nick carry around - and, now that he thinks about it, hasn't he seen something like that before? - but Nick snatches it out of his hand and quickly places it back into his pocket. Larry shrugs before continuing, "being my wing-man. Talk to her about me, flesh out all the details that'll make her go, 'Oh, wow! Larry's such a hunk!' Things like that, Nick."

Nick is frowning, and it takes him a while to form a sentence. "Maya already knows you."

Larry grins. "Yeah, but she doesn't **_know _**me!"

"Is there a difference?"

"Wow," Larry breathes out, shaking his head in slight disappointment, "you really need to get out more. Take a break from all this... lawyerly stuff, yeah?"

"Larry... I - _we need to talk._" It's in his voice again. The kinda frustrated tone where he's going to tell him some bad news after Larry's gotten all worked up about something, and then in a mock-sympathetic voice tell him to suck it up - in nicer terms, of course, but it's not like that's any better. Nick sits up in his office chair, leaning his elbows on the surface of his desk while clasping his hands together and looking very deep in thought. Uh-oh. "It's hard for me to say this," (Sure, with that snippy tone, it is _completely hard for you,_ Nick) "but, I don't think Maya should go out with you."

Jaw to the floor. Wide eyes. Absolutely speechless. These are all of this things that describe Larry's current predicament. He's completely shocked, and since when did Nick look so... _intimidating_?

"Huh...? Nick!" are the only two words that Larry's able to make out, although it takes a great deal of time - concern, but mostly disbelief weaved through his exclamation.

Nick just closes his eyes and concentrates. "One, how many girlfriends have you had in the past year?" It feels like there's a light shining in Larry's eyes - like he is in some interrogation, or something, and Nick had just thrust a lamp over his face - and Larry recoils at the imaginary brightness. Is Nick really doing this, here... _now_?

Luckily for Larry, he doesn't have to lie. He crosses his arms, smugly saying without missing a beat, "None! I told you, man, ever since that Bennifer and Katty Tom incident, I've been real wary of women. Well, I mean, there was Desiree, but she was married. And then Iris... but she stood me up after I sent her a really romantic love letter, so that doesn't really count, does it?" Larry sticks out his tongue. _Ha!_ That should show, Nick. If he didn't let up soon and help him out with setting him up with Maya, then Larry is sure that the Nick in front of him right now isn't the best friend he's known for years. Right?

"It's only been two months, Larry." Nick's eyes open again, and he removes his hands from their intertwined state and begins to drum his fingers across the surface of his desk. The sound reverberates in Larry's ears as Nick eyes the orange-coated man up and down with suppressed venom in his gaze - well, not really suppressed, because to be quite honest, Larry is feeling himself start to sweat, and he has to pick at his shirt uncomfortably.

Nick is smirking at him like he gained the upper hand, almost too condescendingly for Larry's liking. Larry blows a raspberry, rolling his eyes, trying to cover up the building anxiety and butterflies in his stomach. He can handle this. "Yeah, so?"

"Count 2018."

Okay, Nick got him there. No big deal. Larry can play this off. He waves a hand off, trying his best not to glare at the blue-suited man sitting in front of him, "So _maaaybe_, I dated around a little bit after I got home from Japan, but that's only to heal the wound that Katty Tom left behind. _Hollywood_, could you believe it? Over me!" The reminder about the Japan incident kind of riles him up a little bit, but Larry tries to keep his cool. He does have one more card under his sleeve so instead of throwing - or continuing, really - a fit and possibly crying, he continues, "I was her mom's disciple, Nick. I'm pretty trustworthy."

"..._Trustworthy?_"

Larry grins, completely unaware of the biting sarcasm behind Nick's words and mistaking it for Nick just being astounded at the reminder that hey, Larry's probably the most trustworthy person he knows and he should totally let him date Maya and if he doesn't then he sucks and Larry's going to sweep Maya off her feet and then leave Nick to fall into some, like, grape juice addiction. The thought makes Larry cross his arms over his chest proudly. "Exactly. See, Nick, she even let me use the name Deauxnim for my new persona and all."

Nick grits his teeth together, a low growl emitting from his throat. Larry hops back from the desk, lifting both of his arms weakly as though he is being instructed by a cop. Any attempts to change his choice of words went unheard as Nick slams his hands onto his desk, pointing his finger directly at Larry. "_Objection!_ I thought you were trustworthy in elementary school when you stood up for me during that class trial, but then I found out _you_ were the one who stole Edgeworth's money in the first place!"

"Oh," Larry visibly sighs in a relief, scratching at the back of his head. He feels the corners of his lips lift into something of a smile - forced, really, but still a smile all the same - and he says, "You're still worked up about that, huh? Eh, details, details, Nick. The past is in the past, let it go."

The twitch in Nick's fingers where they lay on the surface of his desk tells Larry that, yes, the fact he was the one who stole the lunch money did still matter to him, but Nick ends up sighing in defeat at bringing up such an old subject and settles back into his chair. Still, he doesn't let the matter at hand go. Remembering Larry's words earlier, Nick retorts, "Two, are you really just going to bring up her mother so soon after that," Nick narrows his eyes, and Larry gulps, "incident?"

_Dammit._ Larry's card failed him.

"_Hey!_ That was an accident - a complete slip of the tongue, if you will-" His lie is cut off short when Nick begins another accusation, obviously having gained some stride towards his (_completely dumb_) argument. Larry and Maya were meant to be! Why didn't Nick see that?

"Three, she's going to be put into a position of power in that 'dumb old village' you're talking about." Larry flushes in unease at the topic, reaching behind his neck to rub the area awkwardly as the tension in the room grows. Nick is seemingly empowered by the ability to make him feel so uncomfortable, even going to the extent of raising his voice, continuing matter-of-factly, "Which basically means, if you're dating the Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique, you're going to have to put up with all the traditions. Can you really handle that, Larry?"

A sweat-drop. "What do you mean? Of course I can! I'd do anything for my sweet Maya."

"What if she gets kidnapped? Or arrested for murder?" Larry thinks he hears a murmur of "again" tacked reluctantly at the end of his questions, which makes Larry raise a curious brow. And just what did he mean by that? That only happened like - _once_, right?

Larry opens his mouth, ready to counter-attack his assumptions but before long, he realizes he doesn't really know what to say. "I, uh... call you?" Larry finishes lamely, and he regrets his words the second he can hears the familiar "tch, tch, tch" sound escaping Nick's lips - the same one he's heard every single time he's messed up in his life and just happened to attract trouble. When something smells, it's usually the Butz...

"See, that's just it, Larry." The ferocity is apparent in his facial expressions but his tone is softer now, although it still holds the air of authority and truth that Larry's sure he's heard in Edgey - maybe becoming a lawyer really does change a person, or perhaps it's a different reason altogether. "If you're going to date her, you have to protect her. For me..." There's a slight pause as Nick takes a breath before hastily adding, "for all of us."

However, before Larry can question the suspicious beat, Nick is one step ahead of him, as he always is. He looks up at Larry, something glistening in his eyes as he brings about his final reason.

"And four... you're way too old for her." Nick replies smugly, having gained the upper hand in their argument. But his words bring a bad taste to Larry's mouth, and he finds himself repeating the same phrase over in his mind while tilting his head, the corners of his lips curled downwards in concentration. There is something that isn't quite right about his statement.

"Well, you and Maya hang out together everywhere and it's not weird, right? I'm a year younger than you! Don't that count for somethin'?"

This makes Nick shift uncomfortably in his seat, as if he never considered that before. "Er - but Maya and I - we... we're not like dating or anything. So it isn't weird. But if you were going to date her-" His jagged eyebrows are drawn together and instead of continuing his retaliation against Larry's logic, he avoids the topic to stand up and walk towards the man.

"Larry," He says, something like pity in his voice. Except it's not really pity, only slight aggravation and he actually looks a bit pompous about the whole thing, like he doesn't know that Larry can totally see that satisfied grin peeking through his features. Oh, here we go. "It's not her... _it's you._" Nick pats him on the back in a half-hearted attempt to sooth him, and it feels like a ton of steel thundering on his backbone. Only it isn't soothing him at all, and Larry snaps his head up to look at Nick.

"Are... are you breaking up with me... for her?! Before I even get to ask her out? Nick, come on, man! T_hat's not fair!_" He knows he's starting to whine, and he feels his hands clench and wave around in fists, but he isn't actually going to let Nick get away from this, is he? Whatever happened to justice for all?

Nick lifts an eyebrow as if to tell him "life isn't fair," and it quickly shuts Larry up, though the inner-fuming hasn't fully stopped. Everything Nick is saying - it's bogus! Maybe there's another reason for why Nick's so against him wanting to date Maya? Or is that Larry just looking into things too much?

A loud "ahem" interrupts his thought process, and Larry shakes his head and shifts his attention back onto Nick.

"Alright, now that that's cleared up," Nick says, smiling cheerfully for the first time since he's brought up the whole "Reasons Why Larry Shouldn't Go Out With Maya (Despite Being Clearly Biased for Some Reason or Another)" and he grabs a hold of Larry's shoulder, bringing his body closer to his. He redirects him back towards the reception room and stops in front of the door. He politely announces, "I appreciate the small reunion, Larry, but it's better if you leave now. Maya could be back any minute now and-"

The door is thrown open, catching Nick in the middle of his sentence. There's a crinkle of a brown paper bag and the smell of... burgers, is it?... wafting into the room. And behind it all stands a girl, dressed up in purple robes, her sandals padding against the plush carpet of the office as she steps inside, interrupting the pair's conversation.

"Nick!" There it is - the voice of an angel. She is grinning, and just the sight of it make Larry beam involuntarily. Maya pauses in her steps when she realizes there's a visitor, and she spins on her heel to face Larry, not noticing Nick's glare redirected towards the action. "Oh, hi, Larry! What brings you here...?"

(Larry swears he sees her subtly pinch her nose at the sight of him, but the action passes as quickly as it comes.)

"Maya," Larry begins, smiling wide and beginning to move closer to her to start _Phase One: Get Her To **Know** You, _with or without Nick's help - but in less than five seconds he feels himself being kicked right out of the office with an 'oomph'. When he immediately grabs for the door handle and finds out he is locked out, he waves his fist out in the air.

"Nick! You _dooooog!_"

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Now, see, Larry is not the most observant tool in the crayon box - (at least, he thinks that's how the saying goes) - so it's a week after the incident at the Prosecutors' Office that he starts to see things in a brand new light. By incident, of course, he means when he had visited Edgey out at his swish office, cracked a few elevator jokes - "Why didja get a room on the twelfth floor? Do you actually _walk_ up all twelve flights, Edgey?" - broke a teacup or two, and had mentioned Nick's weird behavior earlier that day.

Needless to say, his comments provoke some... interesting reactions from Edgey and Franzy (who had stopped by sometime between when he had broken the first teacup and the second, and Larry distinctively remembers this because she whipped him for almost cutting her legs with the glass shards,) that he never really understood. Like, "You asked Wright to... _what_?" and "Fool! Do you not realize what you have done?" and even more whipping, that Larry almost blacked out. Not really, though, because blacking out isn't cool at all - and Larry Butz is epitome of coolness.

But now, as Larry is strolling the streets of L.A., making his way towards the office block by the Gatewater Hotel, he feels as though it all makes sense!

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The second the door swings open, Nick eyes him up before moving to close it once more. Larry lets out some sort of strangled noise when he sees this, but however, this time, Larry is ready for it. "Nick! Wait-"

He swiftly slides his arm in the gap between the wall and the door to intercept Nick's attempt at block him out, grimacing as he feels the door close a little bit on his flesh. It works, though, and Nick re-opens the door in defeat. The man lets out a tired sigh, looking at Larry, who finds it safe to pull his arm back at his side. Larry briefly massages it before his attention shifts back towards Nick. "Hey, thanks for not like, smashing my arm in or anything."

"Is that supposed to be sarcastic?"

"No, not really - really, _thanks_ - wait," There's a beat as Larry remembers exactly why he's there at Nick's office again, and he stands up proudly before pushing his way through into the reception room. He stuffs his hand into his pocket, fingers sliding over the evidence he was keeping in there. It helps that his pants pretty much have enough room for a baby - men's pants could store anything, really. There's something wrong with that too... but, wait... "That's not the point. The point is-"

"Larry, why are you here?" Nick motions back toward his office room with a tilt of his head. "I'm kinda in the middle of filling out some paperwork for an upcoming case..." He looks really tired and Larry almost feels bad for him that his gaze wanders back towards the grey door, and he idly wonders if he should come back at another time. But when he tries to move, he finds that his feet are practically rooted to the carpet and, really now, he can't just let this sort of opportunity slip from his fingers!

"That isn't the point either!" Larry shakes his head, dismissing Nick's excuse. He has all the aces in his hand now - he can't just let Nick dilly-dally over something boring like paperwork. Larry paces around the room a bit before stopping in front of the receptionist desk, having decided on a way to bring the whole subject up. Perhaps, he did learn some things over the years...

"I know why you won't let me go out with Maya!" Larry is quick and straight to the point, even using his free hand to point his outstretched finger accusingly at Nick, who raises a jagged eyebrow at the action.

Nick doesn't quite get it, though, and he gives an amused smile, head cocked in a confused fashion. "Oh, so you took my advice, huh? I know you have really good intentions and all, and that you're a nice guy underneath all, uh, that-"

"Nick, I have no idea what you're talking about..." Larry says slowly, and then he presses his index finger and thumb together and draws a line in the air, signaling for him to stay shut for a while as he explains. He furrows his brows together before taking a deep breath. "But I've been doing some investigating," He tries to ignore the funny look he gets when he says 'investigating,' bringing out his trust yellow notepad he kept hidden in his pocket - something he's scrawled all his notes and reasonings on during the past week. Larry pats his hand against the surface of his notepad, looking Nick straight in the eye before pointing his finger once more. "_OBJECTION!_ Or... uh? _HOLD IT! EUREKA!_ One of those, I think... anyway...! This is enough proof that..."

Larry bites the insides of his cheeks, once, twice before exhaling. Here goes nothing.

"You like Maya!"

Now, Larry wishes he had a camera on him or something because Nick's reaction is sorta hilarious; the way his face contorts from general bemusement to how he suddenly blanches, stuttering out, "Wh - WHAAAT?"

Suddenly, Larry is all in Nick's face, the excitement apparent in his facial expressions and voice. He contains himself from breaking into a happy-dance right there in the middle of the room, instead bombarding the attorney with questions. "I'm right, huh? That's the only reason that makes sense! I mean, why else would you deny a best friend's request for help unless _you_ like the girl _he_ likes?"

"L-look, Maya and I - we aren't, um - I d-don't," Nick's blushing and he won't look Larry in the eye anymore, and God, Larry is never going to let him live this down. Everything is too priceless. Is this how real lawyers feel like when they finally get to the big _shawow_ and reveal the actual culprit? If anything, all Nick is guilty of is liking a girl. Larry tries to hold in his snickers. Could Nick get any lamer?

But before long, there's a beat in Nick's ramblings about why his reasoning is untrue. Larry looks back at Nick, who has that bewildered look on his face again, but he can see the remnants of his blush still paint his cheeks. He looks as though he is trying to figure something out, and that alone makes Larry impatiently shift the weight of his foot to the next.

Finally, Nick speaks, drawn out and piecing things together, "Have you and Pearls been having those pity parties again? Look, I know you guys, uh - _connected...?_ - once, but that might be a bad influence for her and those potatoes-" Nick pauses in his ramble when he spots Larry jotting even more notes into his notepad, his tongue sticking out in concentration. Without thinking, he makes a grab for it. "Hey! What are you writing?"

Larry's reflexes are much faster, and really, he thanks it all on the extensive security training most of his jobs required, and he pulls his notepad away with a "woooah," shutting it close and hiding it behind his back. He waggles his finger in a similar fashion to the von Karmas, and Edgey at that, and it makes Nick shiver involuntarily. "Not so fast, Nick!"

Nick makes a strangled noise. "Why not? Doesn't the defendant have a right to see this 'so called evidence'?"

Larry tilts his head, contemplating. Slowly, he speaks, drawing his arm back forwards with hesitance. "Well, I guess so. You are the lawyer here, anyway, heh..." Larry opens the notepad back up, flipping through a couple pages (hopefully, Nick doesn't notice the half-assed doodles littering the backs of some of them; of Larry sitting in a throne gracefully, along with a harem of beautiful women - it was for drawing practice, okay?) and points to the part of the page he was last on with a sheepish smile. "Right here."

Nick snatches it out of his hands, eyes quickly scanning the paper while muttering the last bulleted note out loud: "Is a father before he even_ is_ a father" decorated with a crude drawing of Nick and Maya holding hands, with Pearl dab in the center, completing the ideal image of a family.

Nick presses his lips together in a firm line and backtracks a couple pages until he reaches what Larry dubs the title page - "Reasons Nick Has Got it Goin' On for Maya." Larry just grins at its sheer brilliance.

"What - what is this?" Nick asks, licking his lips and trying to not let the book fall out of his hands, emptily motioning towards the title.

"I already said it, didn't I? My evidence notepad! Look," Larry hums happily, taking the notepad back from Nick's limp grasp, and he turns the page. He begins to explain, "So, the past week, I've been really thinking about what you've said. So while I was - uh - following Maya around, not like that though, trust me, buddy! I noticed a couple things, see?"

Larry winks and starts to read out loud from the list, fingers running over the days-old lead and getting faint marks on his fingertips. "Reason one: You and Maya hold hands... a lot. Even like, when it's unnecessary. Some sort of instinct, or maybe even the blossoming of something more?" He say in sing-song, and the hint of arrogance and smugness in his words only boosting his confidence as his eyes glance over the chicken scrawl he calls his handwriting.

"That doesn't exactly mean anything, Larry." Nick retaliates, but Larry shushes him once more.

"Yeah, but when's the last time I've seen you hold hands with someone - no less, _a girl_." Larry emphasizes the last part of his rhetorical question as though it is the biggest piece of news ever how Nick was seen holding hands with Maya.

Just as expected, though, Nick keeps quiet. Albeit, he continues to size Larry up and down with his eyes, and Larry has to pretend that there aren't any sorts of lasers shooting out of Nick's head and right at him. (Okay, so the laser were really imaginary, but wouldn't it be cool if he could do that? At least, as long as Nick wasn't pointing his laser-powered eyes towards him.)

Larry gulps in an attempt to wet his suddenly dry mouth, before clearing his throat again, readying himself to continue reading his list, which he claims was written in the stroke of genius. His eyes are twinkling, a glint of mischief clear in the glimmer of his pupils. He looks as if he's actually battering a defendant's plea of innocence down, piece after piece of evidence making them react - the sight itself rewarding. If the last of his paintings sell and make him enough cash, he wonders if he should aspire to become a prosecutor.

"Reason two," Larry drawls, reflecting the previous week when Nick had one-up'd him in a battle of wits - (_really_ not fair, Larry insists, he wasn't prepared). Phoenix Wright may be the epitome of turnabouts in court, phoenix and all that "rise of the ashes" bullcrap, but out here - far, far away from the glamour of the defense desk and Judge and gallery, he is vulnerable; something Larry makes sure to take advantage of. Nick's not the only one capable of turning around an impossible situation. "When you smile at each other, you do the cheesiest movie move ever - you know, the one where you end up staring at her for a long time, and then she notices and you have to pretend like you weren't? I kinda got bored counting how many times that happened when you guys went to the park a couple days ago, but that was like... seven tally marks!"

"No, I don't!" Nick replies hotly, but the way he's avoiding Larry's gaze says otherwise. Check and mate.

Larry begins to circle around Nick, holding the notepad closer to his face as he reads aloud. "Three, I may have uh, timed one of your hugs." He stops in front of his friend, pulling out a stopwatch from his pocket. He clicks one of the buttons on the side and the screen blinks, showing the seconds, unchanged from the last time he's used it. "As you can tell, it was about 14.7 seconds long. That was..." Larry pauses to squint his eyes at the calculations he did, but the fact that he fell asleep on the notepad while doing so and accidentally smudging the lead makes it kind of hard. "4.2 seconds longer than the one you gave Pearl. Funny, huh? You know what they say about people who hug for really long times?" Larry whistles.

"She said she was feeling cold, alright? Fourteen seconds isn't _that_ long..."

Larry tches, waggling his finger again to shush Nick's pathetic excuses.

"Four, have you ever seen how many times you've defended her in court? I even heard about that time she, uh, got held hostage," Larry's voice goes quiet for a bit when he senses the tense aura revolving around Nick at the reminder, but his voice rises after a few seconds pass, this time with renewed resolve, "I've even got copies of those case files if you need to see for yourself-" Larry turns a couple more pages until he spots the ones with the court records, cut to fit the small notepad and hastily pasted into place. All of them clearly read out: "Defendant: Maya Fey" along with "Defense Attorney: Phoenix Wright."

"That doesn't even count State vs Engarde, or how you tried to defend her during State vs Iris, even though she wasn't even your client!"

The unwavering silence that fills the room makes Larry dig the toes of his sneakers into the carpet awkwardly, especially after such an outburst. However, it is Nick who breaks it, "What else am I supposed to do? Mia trusts me-" The way his voice cracks makes Larry wince. He sounds as if he is at the peak of everything; as if he's thought about this plenty times before, but has fallen into the routine of just pushing it to the back of his mind. But Larry's brought it back up, and now it's too late. "She's - Mia's little sister. Even if I did - like her like that - I'm not saying I do... I_ would be betraying her trust!_"

"Well, have you asked Mia?" is what escapes Larry's mouth next.

"W-what do you mean?" Nick stammers, eyes blinking in confusion. His face looks like a fish - a flabbergasted expression painting his features, mouth left slightly agape, his eyebrows twitching and instinctively drawing together as though he never thought of doing so; as he tries to process what exactly Larry is trying to say.

"Have you asked her?" Larry reiterates, his own voice calm and steady. He thinks the question is the most plausible response - how could someone be so sure unless they had asked her before?

"She's _dead_, Larry." Nick says rather bluntly, but even Larry knows it's just an excuse. There are other ways and -

"That obviously hasn't stopped you before." Larry muses, remember the times he's seen Mia re-appear around Nick in court, dressed in either Maya or Pearl's clothes - even though the latter was kind of weird, it sure did give a lot to show - but the most important thing was Nick is surrounded by a family of spirit mediums and Mia isn't anything but a call away. Nick looks away again. (Larry tries not to mouth "busted!" and do a quick fist-bump in the air, and it's so tempting that he almost does. Almost.)

"Is she really just Mia's lil sis to you, anymore? I mean, she's still around for a reason, Nick. According to the witness testimonies," Larry reaches a page that reads: 'Testimonies' and begins to tap the back of his hand repeatedly against his notepad. "One _certain_ lit- _young_ lady says you once called Maya the most closest person to you."

Nick clicks his tongue, having expected Larry to bring Pearl up somehow. Larry freezes in his spot at the sound as Nick goes on to say, "You know, Pearl stretches the truth a lot, so she's not someone you can call a reliable wit-"

"I even got a witness testimony from Edgey about it before he left for Europe a couple days ago. Aren't I just super prepared, yeah?" Larry rambles with a grin, cutting him off and effectively wiping the satisfied look off of Nick's face. He squints at the neat, slanted writing that Edgey had left as a memo, correctly recounting most of what Nick said that day. "He confirmed it - he was there, right?" Larry clears his throat again, only this time so he can pull off his Edgey impression - something he's been working on for a while and a half, "'Right at the Police Department, during the Engarde case. Wright said, "I can't even protect the person closest to me." He was clearly talking about Ms. Fey during the time. Is that all, Larry?'"

Nick's shoulders slump forward, and it looks like he is slouching at an odd angle while he stands. He sighs, "...Okay, so Maya's the closest person to me. It's true - it doesn't take a genius to figure that out. She's like, my family... my best friend. But none of that means I like her or anything. Even if it does, she doesn't like me in that way either."

Larry's eyebrows shoot up. This is new information he wasn't able to take into account. "Says who?"

"Well, it certainly doesn't seem like it...?" Nick starts off, but the way his words jump slightly higher towards the end of his sentence make his deductions seem fairly unconvincing to Larry.

He rummages around in his pocket once more, feeling around for a thin piece of plastic until he finally finds it pressed up against his thigh and blending in with the fabric of his jeans. Larry throws his notepad off somewhere behind him since it's unneeded now, the soft plump of the cushions telling him that it landed on the couch.

Larry knows this is the turning point; when the defendant is clearly guilty and there's just one important piece of evidence that's proof enough to put them in the slammer. Metaphorically, in this case, of course, because Nick would probably defend himself from behind jail - and liking someone wasn't actually a crime.

"Take a look at this, will ya?" He hands over the card with sweep of his arm, placing it in Nick's palm. Larry can see the details of it from where he is standing, even when Nick picks it up with his free hand and looks it over, eyes widening when he finally takes in what it really means. It's something he's received from Franzy while he was off getting Edgey's testimony; she said that she didn't have the time to pass it onto Nick when she had the chance and that if he's making such a big deal about it now, Larry's better off with it. The drawing of Nick over the faint pink shell outline is in mint condition, the strokes of ink preserved and not faded or scratched - perfect. It's like it was just found at the crime scene itself.

Larry notices how the card makes Nick shake a little in disbelief, and he gently voices Nick's own thoughts, "It might be a year late, but she values you much more than you think, Nick. Same goes for you, right? So what's exactly stopping you?"

Nick is holding the card in his hands, being careful not to crush it in his grasp, and he's staring at it with controlled concentration, like he's scared it might just up and disappear if he blinks. It takes a while for him to find the right words, but his voice is close to quiet when he does decide to speak that Larry has to strain his ears in order to listen properly. "I'm not going to just go up to Maya and say, "Hey, I like you and I'm pretty sure that you like me, at least according to what _Larry's_ been telling me, so let's throw away three years of friendship for something that may potentially ruin our relationship as it is.""

"Then.. you don't." Larry says, nose scrunching together in thought and waving away the idea. "I never said anythin' about confessing."

"..._Huh?_ Isn't that what this whole thing's about?!"

"Nah, I just came here to prove a point." Larry chuckles, flashing a peace sign, but he stops once he realizes Nick isn't laughing with him. He coughs stiffly before continuing, gesturing wildly with his hands,"But, hey, if you do feel that way about Maya, it's your choice whether or not you wanna do anything about it. I just put it out there, you know."

"Yeah... yeah you're right." Nick mumbles. "There's time to figure stuff like this out. No need to rush." Nick is reassuring himself, and he even closes his eyes and takes a couple deep breaths. When they flutter back open, he is smiling - genuinely, that Larry feels a noise of surprise build at the back of his throat at the sudden change of attitude.

Instead of saying anything, Larry just nods.

Nick points towards the discarded notepad, resting on the couch where Larry had tossed it moments before. It's still turned to the page with the testimonies, and for the first time Nick gets to take a good look at it. "So... all of you guys were in this?" There is something in his voice that makes him seem kind of amused by the whole situation, but still all the more serious, and Larry gives a short nod before rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Well, yeah." Larry admits, but he quickly adds, "But I was the one who put it all together, you know? So, in a way, it was all me."

"M_hmm._" Nick smirks at his insistence, but soon enough he lets up and shrugs. "I believe you, Larry."

Larry smiles, but he still feels like he has more to say to Nick; things he can't really word and he ends up opening his mouth and closing it for a while before just going with the flow. "You're just really confused, Nick. You gotta start paying more attention, you know? Hey, you can start by borrowing my investigative notes and going off of that." Larry pushes the yellow notepad over to Nick, stuffing his wooden pencil between the coils that held the papers together, and he puffs his chest out. He pats his index finger against his temple, "Never know what you might suddenly having an epiphany about."

Nick makes another "hmm" noise, playing around with the notepad in his hands.

Larry takes this as a chance to continue, slipping into best friend mode. He side "So... whatever's going on between you and Maya... you should work that out, okay? I'll be here for you if you need me. I would say Edgey, too, but," Larry snorts at the thought of Edgey having anything to do with really giving some sort of dating advice before reaching a hand out to contain his snickers, "he's pretty dense himself."

Nick joins in the laughter after a while, and they soon die out and unlike earlier, the two men are enclosed in a comfortable silence.

"Larry, uh..." Nick starts to say, scratching at the back of his neck before smiling awkwardly. He reaches to give Larry's shoulder a pat, giving a chaste squeeze. "Thanks."

"No probs." Larry winks, giving him a thumbs up.

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.

.

"Hey, so, since you and Maya have that special thing going on that's kind of like dating but also not really - you think you can do your old buddy a favor?"

"Huh...?"

"I'm pretty sure Franzy has a thing for me. You're kind of friends with her, right? Think you can butter her up for me and send her down the road of the Buttzmeister, Nick?"

"_Out._"

Larry feels himself being kicked out the office once again, but this time he doesn't really mind. He _IS_ Larry Butz: Ace Observer, after all.


	3. Pearl Fey

**Character:** Pearl Fey

**Chapter Summary: **The way Maya looks at the picture frame is laced with familiarity and longing, and Pearl wonders what exactly it means for her. (In which Pearl questions the viability of men, and the beginnings of a happy ending.)

**Note:** How has no one written a fic about how Pearl got it in her head that Maya and Nick were special someones in the first place, huh? *looks accusingly at all of you reading this fic* Also, Maya hasn't been in Kurain for about half a year since I'm going by "she moved to the city before 1-2 happened," because that's the only way her "I'm finally getting used to having my own place" dialogue during her phone call with Mia can make sense to me. It doesn't change a lot, so if you don't agree then it won't really bother you, haha. Hope you enjoy this chapter, it was a lot of fun.

* * *

Pearl hears it, indirectly, from her mother talking to one of the Elders outside of her room when she was returning from the Winding Way after playing with the brand new Steel Samurai bouncy ball she received as a birthday gift. She almost drops it and blows her cover, but she recovers and holds the ball tight in her grip as she hides behind the door frame, silently hoping her hair loops aren't spotted peaking out from behind the door frame. Then, there it is again - "Mystic Maya will arrive by train at 8 A.M." - and Pearls gasps in delight.

Mystic Maya's coming back to Kurain, after all this time...!

All of this news makes Pearl really, really happy and excited because although she loves her mother _so, so_ much, Mystic Maya is her favorite cousin! She always knew just what to say and do, and she had such pretty long hair, and she was just so… so… _fun_!

_(What Pearl doesn't hear is the scoff, loud and indecent from her own mother's mouth, a sneer appearing on her face as she bitterly whispers, "And she dares come back, after all the harm her family has done to the village? Pathetic. The girl doesn't have what it takes to be Master." And, as the saying goes, what someone doesn't hear won't hurt them.)_

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Pearl had asked her mother if she could come along and meet Mystic Maya at the train station, but her mother had prevented her from leaving the Manor, ("safety reasons," mother had patted her on the head, cooing in her ears syrupy sweet words to be a good child and wait for her to return) - instead leaving to bring Mystic Maya back to the village.

So Pearl listens to her mother and sits patiently on the bench reserved for those waiting for the bus to pass by Kurain, swinging her legs. Her feet don't quite touch the floor, so she only manages to move around tufts of sandy wind back and forth between her legs.

It's fifteen minutes until she sees the familiar figure of her mother in the distance, long robes and confident stature accentuating a future ruler in the masking as she strides towards the village. And following is Mystic Maya, trudging a large suitcase behind her and lightly stepping across the gravel pavement. Pearl hears her humming the tune to the Steel Samurai, and she automatically lights up.

Jumping off her seat on the bench, she runs towards her cousin as fast as her little legs can carry her.

"_Mystic Maaaaaayyyaaaa!_" Pearl cries, stretching her arms open for the older medium (in training) to gather her into a hug and twirl her around. Pearl giggles, wobbling on her feet a little when Mystic Maya sets her back down on the ground, but her face is bright and she cannot stop grinning.

"Woah! Pearly!" Mystic Maya gasps, bending down to be face to face with her. She boops Pearl's nose with her index finger, and little Pearl can't see the disapproving looks that come from her mother that Mystic Maya is feigning ignorance towards. "You grown up so much since I've last seen you! You've gotten so much prettier, too!"

Pearl nods shyly, - Mystic Maya was complimenting her! - chewing on her thumb thoughtfully. Mystic Maya takes her free hand with hers, gripping her suitcase in her other hand, and beginning to walk back towards Fey Manor. She turns to her mother, "Aunt Morgan, I'm going to talk with Pearly for a while, okay?"

Her mother just lifts her head.

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For every step Mystic Maya takes, Pearl has to take two and sometimes, she's a couple steps behind and has to keep a slow jog in order to catch up. Mystic Maya notices this and slows down enough for her to be in step with Pearl, emphasizing their swinging arms.

"So," Pearl begins, craning her head upwards to look at Mystic Maya. It kind of hurts, but she ignores the stiff feeling beginning to form at the back of her neck, and she carries on with her small talk, "how was the city?"

She's curious, really, mother never let her more than a hair's sight away from the village. She chalks it all up to her mother being extra careful about her, and even though Pearl should feel like she is being deprived knowledge of the outside world, she knows it's because her mother loves her. It doesn't stop her from asking about it, though, and Mystic Maya was usually the one who gave her information prior her move to the city.

Mystic Maya's eyes flash in excitement, beginning to recall details from her excursion from home. She begins to make large gestures with her hands, even though they were occupied, so it looked more like she was flailing her arms around. "It was amazing! The city lights, working television, the fast food joints, hah... there was just always something to do, you know?"

"...Then, how come you came back, Mystic Maya?" Pearl asks, her voice going near quiet. She's happy that her cousin was happy, even though it was because she was somewhere far from Kurain, but she couldn't understand why someone who was happy would just leave all of that behind.

"I... I want to finish my training." Mystic Maya looks down at her feet, letting out a laden sigh. She breathes in, at first shakily, and then sharply before briskly stopping in the middle of the pathway, letting go of her suitcase. She stares off somewhere in the sky that Pearl can't pinpoint, and she rubs the magatama on her necklace pensively before continuing. "I'm already 17 and... in line to become Master... but I can't channel spirits."

Mystic Maya turns back to look down at Pearl, chuckling lightly. "Not exactly the best example, huh?"

Sensing her troubles, Pearl is quick to deny, shaking her head with conviction. "Oh, I'm sure you'll do great, Mystic Maya! You'd make an amazing Master." She compliments, squeezing Mystic Maya's hand gently as if the act would remind her that she's there with her. Mystic Maya's lips curl up slightly, but not enough to comfort Pearl.

Then Pearl frowns a little, looking up at her cousin with wistful eyes. She chews the inside of her cheek, contemplating the question for a while before kicking her feet against the ground, bits of dirt scuffing the soles of her sandals. Slowly, she speaks up. "I miss Mystic Mia. Is she doing okay?"

Her smile falters and she's averting Pearl's gaze now. Mystic Maya clears her throat, and she lets go of her hand to wipe her palm on the bottom of her robes. Pearl looks on with a worried expression, eyes widening. _Did... did she say something wrong?_

"Mia... she's doing alright, Pearly." Mystic Maya's voice sounds far away and sad - _so, so_ sad. She shakes her head and she suddenly looks very nervous, and Pearl's heart aches at the sight of her looking so open... _vulnerable_. "You know... she misses you too."

"Really?"

"Yep!"

And as she grabs hold of Pearl's hand and the handle of her suitcase once more, starting to walk towards her room, Mystic Maya grins again, one wider than usual, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. Although the grip on Pearl's hand is tight and she's less than a foot away from her, Pearl feels as though her cousin is beginning to distance herself. Pearl doesn't say a word.

.

.

.

When they finally reach her room in Fey Manor, decked out with gaudy Steel Samurai posters and varied possessions midst the traditional layout of her bedroom, Mystic Maya plops her suitcase down by the head of her prepared futon, and begins to unpack. The first thing she pulls out is a picture frame and she places it on her drawer, and Pearl is about to offer to help her until she notices her trance-like daze as she continues to look at the frame.

"Mystic Ma-" Pearl pauses in her words hen she spots at the framed photograph Mystic Maya is looking so fondly at, and her eyes automatically shift to the man in the blue suit she is pressed against while flashing a peace sign. It looks like some kind of celebration, and Mystic Maya's arm was stretched out to take the photo, while the man looked like he was trying to avoid having his picture being taken. His arm was draped over her shoulder, though, and the soft look in his eyes while he looks at her is all but inconspicuous.

Her first reaction is to get mad.

She knows what's going to happen. Mystic Maya is going to fall for him, and then the man is going to ask her for her hand in marriage, and they'll be so in love and have babies… and then he's going to leave. All of them leave. It's the same, old tale every single time any girl at Kurain falls in love.

Even father. Especially father.

(She remembers the fight that her parents had the night before he disappeared. She was only two then, but mother had always told her she was a fast learner, so she recognized more words than any other two year old would have. Father had always taught her right after lunchtime, and she felt like she was just getting the hang of things.

There was a lot of yelling, and Pearl peaked out of her room to see what was happening. Words like "obsessed" and "revenge" were spat out in disgust, words which Pearl never really understood yet - she was still in the one syllable category - but she knew enough to know that this really made her mother angry.

He slammed a door, her mother was crying, and he never came back.)

"Who is he?" Pearl demands, pointing at the spiky haired man. She instinctively moves to roll up the sleeve of her acolyte robes to her elbow, sporting an angry look. How dare someone manipulate Mystic Maya like that! She... she couldn't have fallen in love. _Men aren't to be trusted...!_

"Huh?" Mystic Maya questions, but it is obvious now that she isn't paying any attention to Pearl.

There's a ghost of a smile on her lips as her eyes outline the photograph, and suddenly all of the tension and awkwardness surrounding her actions are gone. Mystic Maya's eyes are sparkling with something Pearl can't really make out - but all she knows is that it's a far cry from how she was acting like before.

"That's Nick." She murmurs, almost like she was somewhere else other than Kurain. Maybe with this 'Mr. Nick.'

All Pearl knows is that Mystic Maya looks happy. Her smile is gentle and blinding, all at once, but full of a sudden burst of feeling all the same. It's different from all of the others Pearl has witnessed in her past eight years of living.

_Like it was a smile reserved only for the man in the photo._

Her gaze then rips itself from the photograph, but her curling fingers tell Pearl she wants to reach out for it and hold it closer to her.

"You should've been there, Pearly! He was _soooo_ cool!" Mystic Maya flops back onto her futon, hair splayed everywhere. She turns over to her side, her elbow digging into her mattress and hand resting on her cheek as she gushes, transparent and unprotected to all the new emotions pouring within her. "He was like… the Steel Samurai… but in lawyer form!"

"Um," Pearl pipes up meekly, though she is still eyeing up the picture frame with intensity. A surge of confusion falls upon her, she felt her hand lower from its position, and her robe sleeve slips down her robe once more. She's heard the word used before, plenty of times, actually, with Mystic Mia, but she never had learned what it meant. "What's a loy-er?"

"Ah, right. A lawyer is... _uh..._" Mystic Maya's face contorts into strange expressions as she tries to pick out her words carefully, enunciating her syllables leisurely. Tapping her index finger rhythmically against her chin, she answers, "Someone who fights for the truth, and... believes in you."

Without waiting for Pearl to reply, however, Mystic Maya continues, the sudden shift in demeanor taking over her. "He even saved _me_ once, Pearly!" She babbles, clasping her hands together. For a moment, though, her voice goes quiet, and she's almost mumbling to herself with she says, "Nick... he - he believed in me when no one else would."

"Is he someone important to you?" Pearl moves on, noting how Mystic Maya begins to fumble with her comforter, fixing a stare at her actions.

Caught off-guard, her fingers freeze in the middle of picking at a stray thread. She tries to play it cool, laying her hand back down to her covers. "Of course. He's… very special." Mystic Maya affirms, even nodding to herself at her choice of words.

"So he's your "special someone," Mystic Maya?" Pearl asks quietly, and the words roll off of her tongue so easily - like as if she was meant to ask this question for a while now. She feels a little bad for not believing in this 'Mr. Nick' person Mystic Maya seems very close to, but Mystic Maya's been by her side forever and it wouldn't be right for Pearl to let some... some stranger come and whisk her away!

Mystic Maya chuckles good-heartedly, sitting back up on her futon and motioning for Pearl to come closer to her. Pearl obliges, sidling over to where she was and kneeling down beside her. Mystic Maya cups Pearl's face in her hands, fingers fixing stray hairs from her fringe before mussing it up. The young girl harrumphs a small, "hey!" but soon she is all giggles.

Returning to her question, Mystic Maya looks rather flustered at the topic, but she does her best to look unaffected at Pearl's assumption.

"...Something like that, I guess." Sneaking another glance over at her drawer top, like the memorabilia was something that comforted her, she kneels down in front of Pearl, her back showing. "Hop on, Pearly! Let's get some food. I'm starved."

Pearl excitedly jumps onto her back, legs swinging towards her sides until Mystic Maya hooks her hands beneath them to steady her grip. As she begins to stand up and head towards the doorway, Pearl holds her arms together across Mystic Maya's neck, and she has to curl her toes to make sure her sandals don't slip off during the trek.

"So, how did he protect you, Mystic Maya?" Pearl inquires, her chin resting on the her cousin's shoulder as they start towards the kitchen.

As Maya goes on to ramble about her knight in shining blue armor, Pearl recalls how her mood instantly changed once the subject of her older sister had passed onto Mr. Nick. Perhaps that's it. She needed to be saved - but in a different way; something not just anyone could do, not even Pearl herself. Mystic Maya needed him to save her from something much bigger than scary guys with clocks and tasers... her own fears.

...Maybe this time, things are going to be different. _Mystic Maya could have a happy ending, too, right?_

With her thoughts filled with child-like hope and innocence, they bound across the wooden hallways and into the main hall. She feels that she should ask more about her "special someone" later to properly pass judgement for him, but for right now, it was Pearl-and-Mystic-Maya time.

Pearl likes that.

.

.

.

When she meets him almost half a year later, Pearl understands exactly why Mystic Maya must've fallen in love with him. He is clutching her most prized possession - Mystic Maya's magatama - in his hands, expression sad and almost hopeless, but the determination in his eyes is something that is unique about him. Almost like he was going to rise from the ashes.

"You... you're Mr. Nick, right?"

From that moment on, Pearl knows she could trust him to be Mystic Maya's "special someone;" that unlike everyone else, he's not the type to leave. He's going to save Mystic Maya and they're going to live happily ever after. She just knows.

* * *

**Note #2:** I'll be answering reviews here at the bottom from now on, just for convenience, as now this section is easily skippable.

**KaUiA:** Thank you for reviewing! As for when Larry cornered Phoenix, I mentioned it in the chapter (2 months into the year, so it's still February) but it's easily passable, heh. The first encounter happens at least a couple days after State vs Iris (which happened around the 10th of February?), as Edgeworth hasn't left for Europe again yet. And the second one takes place just a week afterwards, so Phoenix should've still had his badge at that point.

And yep, all those characters are on my to-do list. Confession time, I haven't actually gotten the chance to play Apollo Justice or Dual Destinies, but when the time comes, you bet I'll be all over the seven year gap. For now, though, I'll only be focusing on the trilogy characters - but there should be enough to write about while I go and play those last two games.


	4. Elise Deauxnim

**Character:** Elise Deauxnim/Misty Fey

**Chapter Summary:** She may have been gone for fifteen years, but a mother knows best. (In which Elise protects Maya, in a much more different way.)

**Note:** I wish we got to know Elise (what I'm going to be referring to her as throughout the rest of the chapter, sorry in advance if you prefer me using Misty!) more in 3-5. But I guess we got to know her longer than most victims, if that counts. I've always had this run through my mind several times - what if she had more time to speak to this 'Mr. Wright' she knew was looking after her daughter?

* * *

Elise starts off by preparing to do her part of the Prosecutor's plan: get close to Pearl and prevent her from following any of the instructions given to her by her mother, Morgan Fey. Pearl's participation was the sole catalyst of the entire scheme set by Morgan to completely rid of the main Fey bloodline in hopes of pushing for the nine-year old to inherit the title of Master of Kurain Channeling Technique. If only Elise could just distract Pearl enough to get her to forgo her duties... they - they wouldn't have to go to drastic measures.

Even so, Elise was prepared to fight for Maya. She reaches up to grasp at the charm clasped to her beaded necklace, hidden neatly underneath her black robe. The Master's talisman... Elise's thumbs knead the surface, feeling the encrusted Master's insignia and the wrinkle of the old photograph stashed inside the red talisman. A surge of guilt shudders throughout her body.

She had already lost one of them. Mia... she was dead now; murdered due to Elise's own incompetence - her shame had hurt the village, but now it was hurting her children. She is going to make sure Maya grows up and lives a happy life, with or without her mother.

...Mother? Can she even call herself that anymore, after all that's happened?

Elise supposes not, but she is okay with that. As long as Maya is alright... she is okay with just watching.

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Elise is smiling jovially after her talk with one Mr. Phoenix Wright and Maya, hand steady on her staff as she cocks her head to the side. "Well, you'll have to excuse me now." Elise nods over to the large cauldron that was being generously pre-heated from the fire in the middle of the room. It was one of the only sources of heat in the temple, the cold being one of the important factors in tapping into the potential of channeling spirits. "I have to go help with the dinner preparations."

Pearl bounces on her toes at this, craning her head to gain her idol's attention. Having done this, she exclaims happily, her eyes gleaming in admiration, "Wow! You mean you're cooking dinner tonight?"

"That's right. Would you like to help too, Pearl?" Elise asks, tucking her book beneath her arm. She bends down before Pearl, and affectionately sets about running her fingers through her fringe and setting the hairs back in place. She's such a cute young girl, Elise muses to herself, patting the top of Pearl's head.

"Yes, yes! I want to help with whatever I can!"

"Oh, I'll help too, then..." Another voice pipes up. Elise stands back up from her previous position, looking at Maya who begins to make her way towards the pair.

The older woman is quick to object.

The shift in Elise's voice is ever-present, but the mature, smooth tone is as wise as ever. She lightly shakes her head at Maya, feeling strands of her updo gracefully frame her face, the corners of her lips still curled into the makings of a smile. "...No, it's fine. Please don't worry about it."

Foreseeing the inevitable confusion in Maya's expression, Elise motions over to Phoenix, standing idly beside Maya with his hands stuffed into his coat pockets, evidently trying to prevent himself from catching a cold... or hypothermia. Elise suppresses a small chuckle before clearing her throat, hand balled into a fist as she presses it against her mouth as to suppress the noise. "Feel free to relax and explore the area with your friend."

Although she was trying to urge Maya to leave Pearl and her be in order for Elise to completely gain her trust, she sincerely doesn't mind Maya spending time with someone else instead; a part of her is even relieved that she has someone like Phoenix by her side. Elise has been watching over her daughters for years, and she knows how much a prominent influence the man has been in both of their lives, much more than herself, at this point.

"Huh!? But..."

"...Oh, yes! Please take this. I think it will be of help to you." Remembering something she kept in her robe, Elise quickly retrieves a rolled up paper and hands over to Phoenix. When she spots his bewildered face, she go on to explain, "It's a map of the area. We wouldn't want you to get lost now, would we?"

"Well, if you insist, I guess we'll take this chance to out check out the other temple."

Elise notes that Phoenix looks as though he is not paying much attention, but when he accepts the map, he seems to have snapped out of it a bit. Looking over warmly at Maya who is leaning over his shoulder to see the map, he unravels it and tries to pinpoint their destination.

His finger traces the line leading from the Main Gate to the Inner Temple, but there's a moment at hesitance when he reaches the bridge. It seems to have struck a chord as Phoenix begins to nervously shift in his position, and he gulps. Noticing his unease, Maya lays a hand on his shoulder, her eyes reading: "Are you okay?" and Phoenix pauses in his tremor to give a small nod.

Even as his finger finishes the trail back towards the Inner Temple and he is beginning to roll the map back up, Phoenix's eyes are still shielded; pained with something more than just bridges. Elise follows his gaze just past her towards where Sister Bikini, poor lady, stands over the hearth, clutching at her aching back and... Sister Iris.

"Okay!" Pearl chirps, not aware of the tension clouding the room, and her exclamation is enough to break Phoenix out of his disorientated state. Elise purses her lips. "I'll see you two later then!"

Pearl eyes the two up, folding her arms together, and overall reminding Elise of a mother chiding her daughter and her boyfriend before a date. The sight of a nine-year old girl squinting her eyes down at grown adults is enough to quell the atmosphere, and Elise even finds her actions charming. She quips, "Remember! You're not allowed to fight!"

Maya nods and does a one-handed salute as if to say "will do," and she hops back over to the hallway that connects the Main Temple back to the front entrance of Hazakura. She spins on her heel, and waits for Phoenix to come and catch up to her.

"Come on, Nick! Let's go! At least we'll stay warm if we keep moving!"

He does, after a while, his hand shaking as he holds the folded map between his fingers. Phoenix drapes his arm around Maya's shoulder in a reassuring embrace before it falls limply back to his side. He wraps his own arms around himself, and for a second there, Elise can't tell whether Maya's teeth are chattering louder than Phoenix's or if it were the opposite. But what she can hear are the playful comments between the two - "Maya, let me borrow your hot water bottle for just a moment." "Maybe you should've thought about that before we left the office!" - and lighthearted giggles. (Elise notices she passes the bottle to him anyway, and Phoenix's lips curl up into a grateful smile.)

Her eyes do not miss the added exchange between the two, either: Maya grabbing Phoenix's hand as she drags him back outside, presumably to Dusky Bridge to check out the Inner Temple, and Phoenix moving to intertwine their fingers together and squeezing her hand, as though the subtle gesture might bring him more warmth. Maya looks up and grins - widely and more brightly than Elise can ever hope to remember - and Elise thinks it may have worked. To an average person, it looks nothing more than two close friends who have grown used to these small gestures of appreciated, but to Elise, it seems that barely scratches the surface to what their relationship really means to the both of them...

"They're "special someone's," you know, Ms. Deauxnim." Pearl chimes in, even though Elise asked nothing of Maya and Phoenix's relationship, and her reply is something more of an automatic response. It does succeed in breaking her out of her reverie as Pearl draws closer to the kitchen hearth where the potatoes were beginning to boil, and Elise smiles.

"Oh, really?" There's a beat before Elise adds, almost pensively, "Pearl... do you think they're happy?"

Elise's interest makes Pearl beam in delight, looking up at the robed mistress. "The happiest!"

.

.

.

Of course it wouldn't be so easy, Elise frets as she finds herself walking down the steps descending to the hallway connecting the rooms on the lower floor to the Main Hall. She would've been a fool to think a plan as such to be easy.

Her eyes skit around, skimming every corner, and she even makes to poke her head into unoccupied rooms. Still nothing.

Pearl isn't anywhere to be seen on this side of the mountain. With less than an hour to ten... this is bad, this is really bad.

The still silence is cut abruptly with the sound of heavy footsteps rings in Elise's ear, and she cranes her neck to spot a shivering figure emerging from the hallway, clutching their night robe as close to their body as it could get.

"...Mr. Wright?"

"Yaaaaaaah!" Phoenix yelps at the sudden call, jumping back from his destination and hitting his back against the wall. He spins around, wide eyes catching Elise's before he breathes a sigh of relief at the familiar face. "Oh! Ah, Ms. Deauxnim. Are you going to use the bathroom, too?" He asks sheepishly, jutting a thumb over to the slightly ajar door at the end of the hallway that Elise was pacing near.

Realizing how besides the bathroom might have seemed, she slides away from the room, shaking her head. "Um, no. But..." Remembering how taken Pearl was to Phoenix, she wonders if, perhaps, he knew where the young girl had disappeared off to? For all Elise knows, she might've gotten scared with all this lightning going on and moved to stay up in his room with him. The slightly beam of hope makes her chest feel lighter, but she knows it couldn't last very long; not tonight. "Have you seen Pearl?"

"No... not since dinner." Phoenix says, straightening out his slightly crouched posture by the door, and pursing his lips as he asserts the situation. His words are slow, and all too worried. "I thought she said she was going up to your room..."

Elise inwardly grimaces at the reminder of her carelessness, but try as she might to keep a calm appearance, she wouldn't be at all surprised if she looked very frazzled. Someone could only be unaffected for so long. She should have kept an eye on Pearl, she should have accompanied her straight back up to her room after dinner instead of waiting for her. She shouldn't have let Pearl out of her sight. There are too many 'should have's' and it's much too late to start regretting.

"I know... but she never showed up." Elise sighs, tucking stray strands of hair that have fallen out of her updo behind her ear. She glances over Phoenix's shoulder to the clock stationed at the beginning of the hallway. There's not enough time left. Elise tightens her grip on her staff, and bows her head in apology. "I-I'm going to look for her. Excuse me."

She moves to walk around Phoenix, but something inside of her makes her stop in her own tracks, putting her only a foot past the lawyer. Elise tilts her head off to the side, enough to see Phoenix in her peripheral vision, but not completely turning around. She sucks in a deep breath, and hopes he doesn't hear her shaky voice. She has to appear somewhat respectable, after all.

"Wait a moment. There's one more topic I would wish to speak with you about, Mr. Wright."

"Phoenix." He supplies, and for a moment there, Elise can tell that even he is surprised at how personal he is being with her. Despite that, a small, but tense smile graces his lips, and he nods for her to continue.

"Right. Phoenix," Elise begins, and suddenly her throat seems dry. She's scared. Of course she is. If Pearl is gone, she may never have a chance to say this again. "It's... regarding Maya."

"What about Maya?" Phoenix asks, looking baffled. She can see the cogs working in his head as he attempts to realize what she was talking about before she could find time to reply, most probably about what trouble the younger girl had caused. Her head dips, a pained look crossing her face for just a brief moment, and her eyes shut close. "Look, if she did anything, I'm sure that-"

"...You'll take care of her, right?" It seems like an empty request. Here Elise was, asking for someone to take in her daughter, as if she actually was a good person - a good mother, when she hasn't even been there for Maya herself.

"Uh..." He stares on at her with a confused look, and if this happened at a more appropriate time, Elise would've thought it was something short of amusing, seeing his reactions to her requests when he knows nothing of her true identity. While she supposes it would be much more meaningful that way, blowing her cover and letting the truth out, she knows to hold back. It's been fifteen years since she's started, so why now?

Still, Elise continues, "I'm trusting you with her, Phoenix. Maya's a good girl, and... someone needs to be there for her when she needs them. She can't always be strong by herself. You understand, correct?"

He's reaching up behind his neck to rub at it sheepishly, eyebrows raised in both hinted surprise and bashfulness. "Well, yeah, she is. She's... pretty amazing. But what does this have to do...?" Phoenix's sentence trails off, almost apprehensively.

"And I'm sure no one would oppose if something were to transpire between the both of you. I wish you two the best of luck with your relationship."

Phoenix's eyes widen, and he gulps while waving his hands in a frantic matter. "O-_Oh_. I think you have the wrong idea, Ms. Deauxnim. Maya and I -"

"If you ever hurt her, however... I will find out." Although she would rather not discuss the methods of how she would find out, granted if she were to die here, and someone was willing to channel a disgraced mother.

And then, without bothering to look behind her, Elise straightens her head, and walks back towards the staircase, her ebony robes swishing against the wooden floor.

Redemption...? She lost her chance for that fifteen years ago, when she packed up her bags and disappeared for her own selfish reasons; her own impunity, and left the fate of the village on her daughters' shoulders. Years of having chances to come back and return to their lives... not acted upon. Dying for Maya's sake cannot even scratch the surface of atoning for her own sins.

Yet... for the final time that night, Elise Deau - no, _Misty Fey_ does what she can as a mother. She knows it's not enough, putting Maya in safe hands that is, but as she closes the door to her room up on the second floor, she's not prepared to go down without a fight.

* * *

**Note #2:** I'd like to take this space to tell all of my reviewers how much I appreciate them. You guys all rock, and thank you for the positive feedback! Keep on keepin' on. I feel terrible for the lack of consistency with these updates, but I'm sort of behind on my summer homework so I'm sure once I get in the pace of things, I'll begin writing more regularly. I really _DO_ want to write, it's just time constraints suck big time. There's more information on my profile if you would like to check.

Again: thank you guys, so, so much.


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